Myths
Tales of fact and fiction from all corners of Gaia are stored here. Gaia's Creation and Origins When the shell of the universe cracked, from the yolk was born the gods of every world, sent out like shooting stars to their planets. For the planet Gaia there were three sibling gods, who landed upon the rich soil and proudly staked their claim upon the land. The eldest, the light goddess Jasmine, created upon her share a variety of powerful beasts that took the shape of many animals, humanoid, and other. "My creation is best," She boasted. "They are noble beasts, honest to their instincts and pure as fresh morning light!" The second oldest, brother dark god Grim, merely sneered. On his land he created monsters of writhing shadow, twistedly mimicking his sister's creation. "Oh no, my creation is best," He replied. "They are ambitious creatures, wild in their instincts and dark as the moonless night!" Keeping quiet and to herself, the youngest sibling Simone, goddess of neutrality, created on her land the people. "My creation I will love," She stated calmly. "For even they who are with their flaws are mine, for their beauty and their ugliness, I will love them as they are mine." And so the creatures of this world Gaia were created, and so they lived. Through the centuries past, the oldest siblings argued amongst themselves, warring over whose creation was the better for this world. Wars which soon began encroaching on Simone's land, and hurting her people. Many died at the teeth of light and dark beasts, and Simone grew desperate to protect her children. Deciding to convince her sibling to leave her people alone, she created on the planet a very beautiful woman. She was the most beautiful woman Simone had ever created, who was kind, gentle, and sensuous. Jasmine, the light goddess, immediately fell deeply, deeply in love. Presenting this woman before her sister, she asked, "Dearest Jasmine, in exchange for this mortal's hand would you bind away your beasts to separate plane, so that mine people can be safe?" "My sister, for this woman's hand I shall give you that and more. I will give yours the stars in the darkness, the beauty of light against the shadow. For now they shall call upon mine when in need." From the heavens crashed many stars. As they fell they split, crashing into the women of Simone's race and creating within them the Spark. This is how the Guardians were born. Taking the woman's hand, Jasmine and the mortal were wed. Between them they had many, many children, who became the gods of people. Jasmine's race of creation was separated from the dimensional plane, placed upon another so that they may live happily amongst themselves. Simone then approached her brother Grim, dressed down and shame-faced. "For my sister I have given a wife, but I know you will have no one else but me, my brother." It was the sacrifice she was willing to make for her children. "For the price of one night, and your seed within my womb, take your creation to a separate plane so that mine people may be safe?" Grim gave his word, for his sister was the only creature in this galaxy worthy his seed. But Simone knew her brother would cheat her in the end, and that is what he did. He packed away his creatures in the dimension with flimsy walls that would tear and break, so that he could gleefully take the lives of the children Simone cherished so much. But his sister was ready for him, and with his seed she birthed not a child, but a promise with twin souls. "In one hand I hold the darkness, that brings mine creation and yours together in darkness and despair. It can never take form as a human, as it is from you and your heart is too small. In the other I give my immortality, the Light Bringer, to guard against your treachery. It will become the power within a Guardian. Two souls shall be placed behind the walls of my sibling's planes, so if the darkness is freed, so shall be the light bringer. "But only mine can free this dark soul, should this day ever come. Such is the price for your treachery, brother Grim. And such shall be your downfall." With these final words she thrust the souls beyond the planes, and fell to her death on the earth. As Jasmine wept, she swore she would protect the creatures her sister had lovingly created, and fight against her brother for them. This is the story of the creation of Gaia's people. The Disciples = Heavy with grief, their heads were bowed deeply and shoulders shook with the restrained sobs of mourning. There, encased in crystal in the center of the large, cavernous room, the figure of a woman remained suspended in a moment of fallen grace. All around her with their hands on the stone were her disciples, their hearts breaking under the light of the full moon shining down on them from above. For a long time they sat like this until a figure emerged from the moonlight with long, silvery hair that suited the light, and dark ebony skin that suited the night. There were tattoos all upon her, painted white like stars. = = “Your devotion evokes admiration in me,” She said quietly, and the disciples lifted their heads briefly from their mourning. “‘I would trade my life for hers’, this is what you are all thinking...” Moving forward to touch the goddess’ earthly shrine, the merciful goddess Thania lowered her starlit eyes to the face of a friend. “Your goddess is not dead, but neither is she alive... My wife and I cannot revive her.” = = “Please,” A deep, wizened voice beseeched her. An elderly yet sturdy man stood slowly, the white hair of his beard resembling a lion’s mane. “Thania, help us... Please.” = = “I cannot revive her... But I can give you the ability to lay the foundation for her reawakening.” Thania turned her gentle gaze to him. “Enrico, king of the Northern Lands of man, would you sacrifice your life to ensure your beloved goddess rises again?” = = There was no hesitation in the way he kneeled down before this goddess, and stillness followed before the disciples easily followed him. “For our goddess... We would do anything.” = = “The scribe holds a book on his person. Through each of you will pass a prophecy, and you will write in this book. You will then pass it to the next person until it is complete.” She sighed softly. “The mountain is already changing to accommodate its precious treasure. In pairs, you will prepare each chamber for your ancestors... Your visions will guide you. = = “If you truly wish to do this, you will lose your life in the process.” = = “I will remain here,” Promised Enrico. “I volunteer.” = = “Me too.” A young voice came from the back, and Rico lifted his head with confusion in his gray-white eyes. “Anywhere with you, my king!” The scout’s voice shook and tears stung his eyes; Tatsuhiko was but a boy, after all. “With you, and my goddess!” = = “... Of course.” The old man smiled tearfully. “Then you shall be my pair.” = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = He was a beast of a man with black skin and soft, dark eyes. She was a handsome woman in a fine jacket and vibrant red lipstick. They were alone in the chamber, seated heavily on a stone slab in the center of the room, touching shoulders, staring down upon an ornate box within the man’s massive, trembling hands. = = “Hey baby,” The woman’s smiling voice cracked and she sniffled softly. “How’s about it? One more song for little ol’ me? Zorelo.” = = His thumbs passed over the latch of the box, hesitating before pressing the lever and causing the spring-loaded lid to open. The delicate chime of music began to fill the chamber, the song our team had just heard, and the dark man bowed his head - there were tears slipping down his face. “Only if,” He burred softly. His voice was very rich, very beautiful, and very gentle. “You seal it with a kiss, miss Kaena.” = = She nodded, and with a deep breath and straightened posture, Zorelo began to sing along with this tiny music box the song that was beautiful as it was sad. He sang with his heart through his tears, hitting peaks and the lows with passionate embellishment until his single audience began to weep. The life of him came from the tip of his tongue and dived into the small music box within his hands. With the end of the last beautiful note, a silence filled the room and the large man fell still as death. = = Beside him his companion sobbed and took the box from his slowly hardening hands. Kaena placed her lips against the latch, kissing upon the box a lock made of rubies. With the box in her hand she placed it over his, and as the light began to leave her eyes she pressed a second kiss to the large man’s cheek. = = Kaena laid her head on his shoulder and waited for them both to turn to stone. = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = “The great Pirate Queen, Leviathan, ruler of the oceans blue has been reduced to ruling... A bird bath.” Levi gripped the edges of the basin and stared down into the faintly glowing water with a smirk that didn’t reach her striking blue eyes. “For her though... I guess its worth it.” = = “Aye, and maybe there is somethin’ even better waitin’ fer us; bigger oceans, more battles to fight...” A man with very blond hair removed a large shield from his pack and situated it onto his arm. A family crest with two mighty dogs standing beside a sword was painted onto the surface. “Ye never know-” His smile was white even in the gloom. “Death may be the next adventure.” = = “You’re a dope... But I guess you’re right, Laoch.” The Ocean Queen smiled lazily at him and dipped two cups into the basin. She took one for herself and handed one to the knight. = = “Cheers. To Simone.” = = “To Simone.” = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = Twisting corridors and numerous dead ends waited beyond the entry corridor to the maze. A man with many scrolls and maps tucked under his arm gazed back at it, stoically waiting for for his companion to finish preparing the spell that would seal it away, another locked gate in a line of many to protect a fallen goddess. Protection that would take their lives. = = “Lostabile...” The attempt at conversation died on his lips. = = “Yes, brother? Baelhare?” Warily the scribe looked up from his work. There were bags under his dark eyes, and in such dimness he appeared as a spectre. = = “I did not say so very often, but...” His voice dropped to a whisper, but his sentiment was loud against the solid walls. “It was an honor to grow alongside you...” He swallowed quietly. “I am proud to be your friend. Proud to call you brother.” = = “...” A smile crept up the corners of Lostabile’s lips with a sorrowful fondness. “The sentiment... Is fully returned.” He ducked his head again, pausing at the last line that would complete the spell before descending his quill upon the paper. = = “There is no one else I would rather face my last moments with.” = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = Sweat trickled down the bare back of the Proud Lord as he painstakingly scorched a large circle in the floor with scalding iron. Intricate details were written in and it took him ages to get from one side to the other. “You know Guren,” He glared at his silent companion. “The time would pass more comfortably if you would speak to me. Maybe even moreso if you helped.” = = The young man seated on a large stone did not look up from his feet, his eyes absent from this empty, dark cavern, lost in the darker thoughts of his mind. His face was very handsome, with rugged features and kind eyes. He sported feathers on his leather armor and he held onto one in particular - it was fading in his hands. “Leave me be, Lucif. There is nothing I can assist you with. = = “You offered your blood to your goddess, you can give her your sweat.” = = Lucif’s scowl could have spelled doom to a peasant such as Guren were he not cut off from his clan. Were Guren not a disciple of the Goddess. Many people of similar status would have shaken under such a glare, but the young man did not bother lifting his head. His task and his guilt weighed heavily on him, he did not need to subject himself to Lucif’s reckless pride. = = As the Der Malian lord completed his task, the silent guard rose and contemplated the animal skin stretched over a torch on his side of the room. With the feather disappearing in his hand, he quickly began writing a confession in dark red ink. = = “Are you ready?” Lucif asked from his kneeling position next to the circle. He placed his hand on the print he drew and stared straight across. = = iI was nothing before Simone found me, and I have failed her. Until I redeem myself, I feel that I am nothing again./i = = “... Yes.” = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = “Toshi, the shadows have reached the base of the mountain,” The woman spoke in an empty voice, her eyes far away from there. “They are trying to find their way in.” = = The man in glasses, Toshi, paused with his paintbrush in hand. “That was... Not anticipated.” The prophetic whisperings they heard had not told them of the shadows seeking the Goddess. In this state she would make more than a perfect feast for them. “Then what do we do?” = = “I believe I can create a barrier to protect this place...” = = “But, Irisala-!” = = “We were always meant to do more than seal this gate, dear friend. This added effort will not change the end result. I have within me the power of all of us. This, I can do this. You must finish the prophecy and tell the mountain to create an opening.” = = “...” A defeated noise escaped him and he scrubbed his face. “We were supposed to... At the same time. How will I-?” = = “You can be strong.” She smiled sadly at him and placed her hands on the ground beneath their feet. “It is why we were chosen to be at the close. Be brave Toshi-” A light began to accumulate in her hands and bleed through the ground. The paint, invisible until that moment, lit up briefly. = = “It’s almost over.” = The Reawakening = When Simone fell from the heavens, it is told that the earth itself rose up to catch her and cradle her in death. Her tomb became the tallest mountain in the western lands, known in the ancient language as Oronopq (Or-o-no-paq). It is in this place that her treasured twelve disciples came to mourn their fallen goddess and beloved friend. Touched by their devotion, Thania the Merciful, goddess of death and the night, came to them. She offered to set in motion the reawakening of their goddess in exchange for their lives. All of them agreed and prepared six chambers of protection with the last of their strength, ensuring the safety of Simone until the time their descendants should gather and her reawakening would occur. = = +++ = = It was the year 7086 when archeologists in Glaston uncovered a peculiar black orb with massive amounts of energy. Elsewhere, a child was born, a spark with an immense amount of power contained within a small body. Many years later when attending the prestigious Temperance Facility, a series of events led to the rise of Acerbus, son of Simone and Grim, who threatened the stability of the dimensional walls keeping Simone’s Gaia safe from the beast of Grim. They began to thin, and ghosts of awaiting shadows tormented the earth. Gathered together were the descendants of the twelve disciples who one night dreamed of their destiny. They were to find a prophecy written in code by the last disciple. Once cracked, it read: = = “Tasked by the merciful Goddess, Thania, we the Disciples bequeath upon our descendants the Prophecy of REAWAKENING. When the twins of Simone surface in this world and the brood of the disciples gather, the sleeping Goddess shall rise when the power given is power returned. Go to the earthly tomb of Simone, EVEREST, pass through all the gates to the chamber where she rests. Bathed in moonlight, the Goddess shall bestow upon the worthy ascension to the tier of ANGELS, marked by beautiful wings upon their back. = = The Angels shall be tasked to hold the faltering walls weakened by festering infection caused by the Dark Son. Unless defeated, mankind shall stand precariously on the edge of disaster.” = = Going to the mountain as the prophecy bade, the sparks faced many dangers and trials on their way to the Goddess’ chamber. = = Giorgi Panettiere, descendant to the Eloquent Duchess, provided light in the first task. = = Zizi da Vivio, descendant to the Dutiful Scholar, answered his riddle to enter the second chamber. = = Raleigh Lynette Der Malian, descendant to the Proud Lord, placed her ruling hand upon the circle of runes. = = Araceli Campbell, descendant to the Silent Guard, wrote her secrets on the animal skin and burned them to ash, thus opening the second door. = = Harper Vastine, descendant to the Patient Scribe, wrote her signature in blood upon the wall. = = Chrone Steyzo Aefent, descendant to the Skyward Quartermaster, guided them through the massive maze to the flooded fourth chamber. = = Krisco Weaver, descendant of the Courageous Companion, commanded the guardian statue aside. = = Dominique Garfield, descendant of the Ocean Queen, paid blood to the basin and entered into the fifth chamber. = = Sharon Holloway, descendant of the Clever Casanova, kissed the rubied lock to the music box*. = = Dallas D’aubigne, descendant of the Haunted Bard, sang the song the music box played and opened the way to the final chamber. = = Shannon Hallard, descendant to the Eager Scout, guided the rest through magic darkness to the crystal-encased goddess. = = Kamiko Hamasaki, descendant to the White King and vessel for Simone’s light child, returned the power to their goddess. = = Power given was power returned. Simone, goddess of their creation and Goddess of Choice, awoke. = = ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ = = Worthy sparks both at the mountain and at the facility were ascended to the tier of Angels by the power of their goddess. They traveled to the interlayer where Acerbus manipulated his father’s beings, and they faced off against the very first Silhouettes of the world. Together they held against the enemies he laid before them while Simone mended the wall, and defeated them. It was then that their attention turned to the dark god, Acerbus. It was decided that, rather than sentence him to death, he would be bound to the interlayer where he could not escape. = = Simone, through the power of her appointed angels who fought against the barating demon, sealed him there without mercy. = = In the end, the walls were secured and the Goddess of Choice was revived. Her returned presence amongst her people gave rise to the devotion to all gods and goddesses with her blessing. She and her remaining Angelic soldiers to this day protect the will of the people and protect them from the power of the gods they may or may not serve. = = *This music box sounds a lot like one a certain potential owns. =